A: According to the Ministry of the Interior’s latest statistics, the top 10 surnames in Taiwan are Chen, Lin, Huang, Chang, Lee, Wang, Wu, Liu, Tsai and Yang. Together, people with these surnames account for over half of the nation’s total population.
B: What are the most popular Chinese names for men?
A: The most common male name is Chia-hao, followed by Chih-ming and Chien-hung.
Photo: CNA照片：中央社
B: What about the names for women?
A: The most common female name is Shu-fen, followed by Shu-hui and Mei-ling.
A: 據內政部統計，台灣十大姓氏分別是︰陳、林、黃、張、李、王、吳、劉、蔡、楊，加起來超過全國總人口的一半！
B: 最受歡迎的男性名字有哪些呢？
A: 常見的名字有︰家豪、志明、建宏。
B: 那女性名字呢？
A: 常見的名字有︰淑芬、淑惠、美玲。
(By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩)
Rehearsal time is over. The world’s best and most ambitious young pianists have descended on Warsaw for the Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition — for some, a gateway to classical music glory. Fans from around the globe snapped up tickets as much as a year ago. The lucky ones attended the opening night concert on Oct. 3 and will follow along as the contest builds to a thrilling climax on Oct. 20. Winning the Chopin International — held every five years in the 19th-century composer’s homeland — can raise the curtain to playing at venues across the globe and signing contracts
In his famous tragic play Romeo and Juliet, the English playwright William Shakespeare wrote, “What’s in a name?” As it turns out, there is quite a lot in a name, particularly a surname, which is commonly known as a person’s last name in Western societies. A surname is written after the first name, which is also referred to as a given name or, traditionally, a Christian name. A closer look at the history of surnames reveals some fascinating insights into their origins. It may come as a surprise to some that up until about 1,000 years ago, surnames were
Many popular English expressions originate from the world of sports. While their roots lie in athletics, their meanings extend far beyond the playing field. Here are three examples. Hat Trick This expression comes from cricket. When a bowler dismisses a batter, it’s called “taking a wicket.” Taking three wickets in a row is a great achievement, so in the past, a bowler who achieved this was rewarded with a hat. Later, sports like hockey and soccer adopted it to mean scoring three goals in a game. Nowadays, this phrase means to achieve any three successes consecutively, not just in sports. For example,
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日） https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang While many early surnames in England were strongly influenced by the work people did, like Carpenter or Plumber, jobs were not the only factor. Physical characteristics, personal nicknames, geographical locations and even parents’ first names also played a role. It’s not hard to imagine how the color of a person’s hair could have led to a surname like “Redhead” or “White,” while a darker complexion might have resulted in the last name “Black.” Meanwhile, someone known as a quick runner might have earned the surname “Swift,” while a clever or cunning individual could have been called “Fox”
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